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Sweet 16
Sweet 16 is a band founded by Vincent Briggs, Tanya Amasova, Fred Pilon, Céleste Séguin-Tucker, Simon Pilon and Rachel Adams. It was originally intended as a cover up for the superheroes indentities but has since evolved to become a strong focal point in the series. History Founding On the day of Tanya's 16th birthday party, Vincent brought to her party his master, Serge and his brother Francis to play with him as a band to provide entertainment for the guest. Fred and Simon join when Tanya offers them to play synthesizers. After playing only one song (Munich by Editors), Vincent, Fred, Simon and Francis voted to have Master Dwezel kicked out because of his terrible singing and Serge because of his slow drumming. They decided to have Céleste sit in as drummer as she is excellent with the instrument and Rachel as a singer. After playing Mr. Brightside, they decide to create a band with the ensemble, which prompts Francis to leave, stating'' 'any band you guys make is going to be gay. I'm out of here!''' They decide that Vincent should play lead guitars and Tanya as bassist. After playing Smile Like you Mean it as an official ensemble, they decide to come up with a name. At first, Simon and Fred suggest the name 'Pen 15', which, when spelled out pronounces 'penis' which enranges the group. They decide to name the band Sweet 16 after Tanya's birthday Party. Improving Skills Shortly after the formation of the band, the members decided to enter the battle of the bands, a rock event hosted by Sacred Heart. The group only had 2 months to practice and introduced a overall uncoordinated performances prior to the show in the band's practice sessions and shows. However, the band was blessed with original written songs, with the First, "Sweet Moonscape" (later a runaway hit), and the second "How to Dismantle an F-Bomb" composed barely 2 weeks after formation. They performed these two songs in battle of the bands along with "Dead!" by My Chemical Romance. They wore provacative clothing to compensate for the sketchy performances. Even though they did not win the battle of the bands, the group was inspired enough to keep playing and keep writing music. This is when the group planned 6 albums and placed their development in chronological order. The group spent the forthcoming summer practicing intensively, honing their skills, improving their group coordination and their songwirting. They began playing small club shows and were featured on a few ottawa river boat cruises as the evenings entertainment. They also provided entertainment for two weddings as well as a joyful funeral. When school began again in September, they played a major show at the Carp Fair, consolidating on their popularity. This is also the first instance when they meet their rival band, We Rock 69, a group that would continue to compete with them in the future out of pure spite and immaturity on their part. Beginning Playing Shows The first important shows that the group put together were the "School's out" mini school tour in December after spending almost four months planning their six albums, writting them and rehearsing. The mini tour was a success as it provided a welcome distraction for the students in the last weeks before christmas. The only exception was at All Saints Catholic High School where the students were still bitter over the specifics of Vincent's expulsion. They continued playing shows and even played as a My Chemical Romance impression after the mini tour for the Athletics Gala. The show was a three part concert with the first covering all the songs from MCR's first album, the second part covering the second album and the third covering the third album. After a successful show, the group packaged the written material from their planned six albums and prepared a second show for the arts gala. After the successful performances, the band that they were ready to compete again in the battle of the bands. This time however, they would have tighter ship. They played "The Beautful People" by Marilyn Manson and "Daphne Descends" by the Smashing Pumpkins as well as Sweet Moonscape, Berlin and Rain from their own written repertoire. Their main competition came again from We Rock 69 but the competing band lost favor with the crowds and Sweet 16 won the competition and played an encore. Due to their victory and their impressive performance portfolio, they were allowed to record demos of their songs in a local recording studio. Graduating Year The year the members of the band graduated from Grade 12, the band was not permitted to play again in the battle of the bands as they had already won, thus they concentrated heavily on song-writing, club performances and honing their driving skills as they were frequently challenged by the kids at All Saints Catholic High School in their 'car rallies'. However, they continued to play many shows for the school including a guest apperance at battle of the bands, Canned food rocks concert, Free Alpinio Dores concert and amongst other galas. At their prom, the DJ never showed up (it is later revealed he was a member of We Rock 69 and presumed to crash the All Saints reunion) which prompted Sweet 16 to provide entertainment for their prom. After the year ended however, the band put a hiatus to performing shows as the members wanted to enjoy their last 'summer of freedom' before attending college and university. This, however, also prompted a new wave of new songs being written, most notably the track 'Rain', 'The Astonisher', 'Dance of the Sun' and 'Natural'. This prompted the spontaneous and unintentional creation of the 'Silence of the World' concept album. At this time, the band organized their ideas to formulate five planned albums that they would like to produce professionally in the future. Post Secondary Status The band suspended their affairs when post secondary education started in the fall of 2010, yet they picked up on their act in order to establish themselves professionally. They would play on a few select clubs in Gatineau and Sparks Street. However, the highlight of their act is to perform at the campus bar for the University of Ottawa, Carleton University and Algonquin College, schools attended by the band members. They became a popular act during parties, mostly because of their good songs and live performance but also because their competition, We Rock 69, is a horrible band. The band took a leave of absence from the club scene when Tanya became Musical Style The band features a prominent Indy-Rock-&-Roll style developped closely along the writting style of the killers. Other prominent stylistic features are the use of a prominent bass line that is tuned to offer a sub-psychonautic level which makes their songs easier to dance to. The use of cymbals and high hats are toned down as members of the band agree that the excessive use of cymbals and high hats was the only downside to Mr. Brightside and other songs by The Killers. The drums are in turn written to provide for a more bass oriented sound. This coupled with the more prominent bass make way for piercing guitars, synthesizers and vocals that make the sound of the band very distinctive even amongst the alternative music scene. Category:Band